Good Shepherds
PRESCHOOL ADOPTS NEW FAITH CURRICULUM This semester, the Preschool announced a new religion curriculum scheduled to launch this fall. Four teachers are currently training in the Montessori methods of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a program of religious formation for our youngest students. Established in 1954 by Catholic disciples of the Montessori movement, Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi, the program has been adopted by over 1250 organizations in 37 different countries.
THE ATRIUM Catechesis of the Good Shepherd centers around “the atrium,” a classroom designated exclusively for CGS presentations. “You get a wonderful feeling walking into the atrium. It’s a quiet environment made with natural, handmade materials. They’re wood, natural fabrics - not bright colors or toys,” said Georgia. Stations around the room present
“Were not teachers in this – students are experiencing a truth, and Christ is the teacher,” said Pre-K4 teacher Samantha DeChiazza. “We just present it.” Pre-K4 teacher Karen Lewis added, “We reflect with the child. We ask a lot of reflective questions, and the child comes to answers on their own. We sit and meditate on these ideas with the children.”
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| ministrāre • SPRING 2019
Jesus and the Lamb / Katherine F. Brown
“I am so excited about this program. It’s just so simple,” said Pre-K2 teacher Georgia Tate. “It is a method of teaching children how to love God and how to enjoy God.” The foundational principle of the program is that even the youngest children have a unique relationship with God, and that the relationship’s growth can be assisted by an adult (but is directed by the Holy Spirit). The Catechesis provides space for teachers to present truths and practices of the faith, and for students to experience and reflect on those. “The program deliberately does not use the word ‘teaching,’ because you’re bringing students to an experience of faith. They prefer the term ‘presentations,’” said Georgia.
